Self-kindling charcoal briquets



United States Patent Oflice 3,352,651 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 3,352,651 SELF-KINDLING CHARCOAL BRIQUE'IS Julian Scott Davidson, Anaheim, Calif. (115 SE. 12th St., Pendleton, Oreg. 97801) No Drawing. Filed Aug. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 477,956 2 Claims. (Cl. 44-10) This invention relates to improvements in the ignition of porous solid fuels. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in self-kindling charcoal briquets. The term self-kindling is hereinafter used to describe charcoal briquets which ignite by application of a flame or lighted match thereto, and thereafter kindle to sustained self combustion.

Charcoal briquets used for cooking purposes are commonly ignited by first dousing with petroleum distillate or kerosene and then applying a lighted match thereto. Self-kindling briquets have been produced by pre-treating with a volatile petroleum naphtha containing a gelling agent, wax or resin which forms a coating over the briquet as the liquid evaporates, or penetrates the briquet. However, the most serious drawbacks inherent in the use of a liquid-and particularly a volatile liquida-re not thereby eliminated. A surface coating can delay, but cannot prevent, the evaporation of the volatile liquid contained within the briquet. Consequently such briquets must be packaged in bags or sacks of materials which are impervious to air and hydrocarbon vapors. After each use the bags must be tightly sealed. If this is not done the briquets will eventually lose their self-kindling property, and if the bag be stored in a closet or other small confined space an explosion hazard could be created. Another situation highly conducive to personal injury Would occur relatively often due to the common practice of adding briquets to a fire already in progress. A nearly empty bag would likely contain a mixture of hydrocarbon vapor and air which could explode by flashback when the open bag was brought near the fire.

Starting fluids for cooking briquets are known to be more effective when a short period of time is allowed for the fluid to penetrate the briquets before igniting. This practice is commonly recommended in writing on bags of charcoal and cans of starting fluids sold in retail stores. It can be seen that if the fluid burns at or too near the briquet surface the hot gases will escape to the atmosphere without transferring much heat to the briquet. In addition to having this drawback, a combustible surface coating over a briquet also tends to insulate the briquet until consumed. On the other hand a liquid can overpenetrate the briquets and thereby not be sufficiently heated to vaporize and burn during the primary kindling process. This liquid will of course be reeased later as the briquets burn down, possibly imparting unpleasant tastes and odors to food cooked thereover. This problem would be especially serious with a pretreated briquet employing a kindling agent in liquid form. For example, I have found that briquets doused with the ordinarily needed amount of commercial starting fluid cease to be self-kindling after a few days even though stored in a sealed container.

The above considerations suggest that there is a relatively narrow band or zone beneath the surface of a briquet wherein a kindling agent works most efliciently and eflectively. My invention provides two general methods of so-confining a kindling agent, and thereby permits the manufacture of a self-kindling charcoal briquet which can be safely and practicably packaged, transported, marketed and stored in the same manner as the cooking charcoal briquet of retail commerce.

A further object of my invention is to provide a selfkindling briquet at a cost to the user equal to or less than the combined cost of untreated briquets and the quantity of starting fluid ordinarily needed for their kindling.

Another object is to provide a means of igniting briquets wherein all the kindling agent will be consumed during the kindling process, thereby eliminating the possibility of unpleasant tastes or odors being imparted to food cooked thereover.

My invention resides in the concept of creating a physical barrier to liquid penetration beneath the surface and at a distance into a charcoal briquet, while partially filling the porous structure in between with a kindling agent. I have developed in practice two general methods for applying this concept. The first method employs a solid kindling agent whereas the second method permits the use of a liquid. Both methods will now be described.

In the first method briquets are immersed for a few seconds in a vat containing a melted combustible solid at a temperature sufliciently above its melting point that when the briquets are removed the liquid will penetrate beneath the surfaces thereof before solidifying. The solid may be either a single compound or mixture of compounds selected from the class of compounds comprised principally of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and should melt above about F. and have a flashpoint sufliciently low to ignite readily when the flame of a match is applied to the treated briquet. There are a number of commercially available alkanediols and alkynediols having from four (4) to about fourteen (14) carbon atoms with melting points above 100 P. which I have found satisfactory for this purpose. These are derived either from aldehydes, or from aldehydes or ketones and acetylene.

In the presently preferred embodiment of the first method of my invention commercial 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3- pentanediol is employed. This low-cost material melts above F., has a flashpoint of 235 F. and is nonhygroscopic. A mound of charcoal briquets containing about ten percent by weight of this diol kindles to cooking readiness in about twenty minutes. The kindling process evolves less smoke than commercial petroleum-based starting fluids.

In the second method charcoal briquets are treated with a heated solution of a combustible solid in a combustible liquid mixture consisting principally of low-volatility material but having a small component of high volatility. Suflicient solid is dissolved to exceed the ambient temperat-ure solubility thereof. The heated solution penetrates the unheated briquet and is thereby cooled until the excess solid comes out of solution and clogs the pores of the briquet, thus preventing further penetration of liquid. At the top of the band so formed the volatile component evaporates, similarly causing the solid to come out of solution and clog the pores. In this manner a liquid can be sandwiched into a narrow band beneath the briquet surface. The configuration will be stable so long as the briquets are stored at ordinary temperatures, since the liquid will be saturated with the solid which confines it on both sides. The proportions of ingredients may vary widely; about ten percent of the volatile component is usually sufficient, while the proportion of low-volatility liquid may be in the approximate range ten to eighty percent, with the combustible solid comprising the remainder of the mixture.

Alternatively a liquid kindling agent can be confined by treating the briquets with a melted combustible solid before and after treatment with the liquid, provided that the solid is either negligibly soluble in the liquid or has been pre-dissolved therein in a nearly saturated amount.

In a preferred embodiment of the second method briquets are immersed for a few seconds in a heated solution of stearic acid in kerosene containing a small amount of white gasoline. Because kerosene has low volatility, the stearic acid layer which forms at the top of the liquid band here serves the primary function of reducing the odor of the kerosene, and as such could also be utilized with solid kindling agents for the same purpose. The saturated, solution of stearic acid in kerosene will still ignite and sustain burning after all the. white gasoline has evaporated.

It will be recognized that substitutions and modifications of the methods and materials herein described can be practiced within the broad scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, the two methods which I have outlined for confining kindling agents to narrow bands beneath the surfaces of charcoal briquets are sulficiently general to be applicable to other porous solid fuels such as wood. Similarly it is clear that said methods are not limited to the specific solid and liquid kindling agents cited herein, and the use of additives to improve certain features of said agents is likewise anticipated.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a charcoal briquet rendered self-kindling by treatment with melted 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol; said compound penetrating the 4 briquet as a liquid and thereafter solidifying into a narrow band beneath the surfacethereof.

2. As an article of manufacture, a charcoal briquet rendered self-kindling by immersion treatment with a heated solution of stearic acid in kerosene containing a small, effective quantity of white gasoline; the kerosene being confined to a subsurface layer in the briquet by partial solidification of the stearic acid upon cooling.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,315,957 4/1943 Hewlett 4477 2,381,891 8/1945 Elkan 4441 X 3,211,539 10/1965 Phillips 446 X FOREIGN PATENTS 813,785 5/ 1959 GreatBritain. 833,629 4/ 1960 Great Britain.

DANIEL E. WYMAN, Primary Examiner.

C. F. DEES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A CHARCOAL BRIQUET RENDERED SELF-KINDLING BY TREATMENT WITH MELTED 2,2,4-TRIMETHYL-1,3-PENTANEDOIL; SAID COMPOUND PENETRATING THE BRIQUET AS A LIQUID AND THEREAFTER SOLIDIFYING INTO A NARROW BAND BENEATH THE SURFACE THEREOF.
 2. AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A CHARCOAL BRIQUET RENDERED SELF-KINDLING OF IMMERSION TREATMENT WITH A HEATED SOLUTION OF STEARIC ACID IN KEROSENE CONTAINING A SMALL, EFFECTIVE QUANTITY OF WHITE GASOLINE; THE KEROSENE BEING CONFINED TO A SUBSURFACE LAYER IN THE BRIQUET BY PARTIAL SOLIDIFICATION OF THE STEARIC ACID UPON COOLING. 